Beginner's Mind

Abbess Zenkei Blanche Hartman

Beginner's mind is Zen practice in action. It is the mind that is innocent of preconceptions and
expectations, judgements and prejudices. Beginner's mind is just present to explore and observe
and see "things as-it-is." I think of beginner's mind as the mind that faces life like a small child,
full of curiosity and wonder and amazement. "I wonder what this is? I wonder what that is? I
wonder what this means?" Without approaching things with a fixed point of view or a prior
judgement, just asking "what is it?" .... We all want to be the one who knows. But if we decide
we "know" something, we are not open to other possibilities anymore. And that's a shame. We
lose something very vital in our life when it's more important to us to be "one who knows" than
it is to be awake to what's happening.... When he spoke of "beginner's mind," I think Suzuki
Roshi was pointing to that kind of mind that's not already made up. The mind that's just
investigating, open to whatever occurs, curious. Seeking, but not with expectation or grasping.
Just being there and observing and seeing what occurs. Being ready for whatever experience
arises in this moment.... In her poem "When Death Conies," Mary Oliver has a few lines that
say, "When it's over, I want to say I have been a bride married to amazement, I've been a
bridegroom taking the world into my arms." This is beginner's mind: "I've been a bride married
to amazement." Just how amazing the world is, how amazing our life is. How amazing that the
sun comes up in the morning, or that the wisteria blooms in the spring. "A bride married to
amazement, a bridegroom taking the world into my arms." Can you live your life with that kind
of wholeheartedness, with that kind of thoroughness? This is the beginner's mind that Suzuki
Roshi is pointing to, is encouraging us to cultivate. He is encouraging us to see where we are
stuck with fixed views, and see if we can, as Uchiyama Roshi says, "open the hand of thought"
and let the fixed view go. This is our effort. This is our work. Just to be here, ready to meet
whatever is next without expectation or prejudice or preconceptions. Just "What is it?" "What is
this, I wonder?"... .So please, cultivate your beginner's mind. Be willing to not be an expert. Be
willing to not know.

(For the complete lecture, go to: hitp ://wwyy.intrex.net/chzg/hartman4.htm)

Abbess Zenkei Blanche Hartman

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Beginner's Mind - Author: Leland R. Kaiser, PhD

The term beginner's mindTo7riwfro7n~ZeTTrirrefe^

labels, no mental structure. The mind is clear, open and receptive. The mind is imaged by
intuitive impulses originating in the conscious, subconscious, and superconscious levels of
awareness. The beginner's mind is non-reactive. It is receptive, not reactive.

Intuition works best in the beginner's mind. The reason is simple. All intuitive impulses are
received. Nothing is blocked or lost. The analytical mind is never activated. There are no
reactions of fear or anger. There is a simple acceptance of "what is." Nothing is lost in the
processing.

As an intuitive you need to practice developing a beginner's mind. This will be a challenge, since
to achieve a beginner's mind you will have to do a lot of unlearning. It means setting aside your
judgments, habits of thought and knee-jerk reactions. It means making yourself totally available
to the totality of any situation. Rather than reacting to the conversation of another person, you
simply listen - you are fully present. As you maintain a "blank interval" your fear response may
be activated, since it is hard to endure silence and we all have a tendency to make a quick
judgment and move on.

Imagine how hard it is to adopt a beginner's mind when you come to a meeting that has a fixed
agenda and you hear a report from some committee that has give an agenda item considerable
thought. Your suggestion that the group enter a meditative state and clear their minds of all
thoughts and preconceptions may not be well received. The beginner's mind is compatible with
right brain functioning but not very compatible with left brain processing. Probably most of the
folks in the room are left brained and trained in very structured problem solving techniques. It
will be a stretch for them to experience a shift of consciousness. However, it may be the best
thing you could teach them.

Remember, when you are in your beginner's mind and your intuition sends you a message, it
will come in symbols, images, pictures, and feelings. You will not hear words. You do not
generate the thoughts. They come to you because you have cleared the stage and invited them
to appear.

A Beginner's Mind
"To lead people, walk beside them... As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their
existence. The next best, the people honor and praise. The next, the people fear; and the next,
the people hate... When the best leader's work is done the people say, We did it ourselves!'" ~
Lao Tzu